Palo Alto County Hospital
3201 First Street, Emmetsburg, IA 50536 · Palo Alto County · 22 certified beds · avg 22 residents/day · certified since Feb 5, 1986
What health inspectors found (on-site government inspections — the most independent evidence available)
Health inspection rating: ★★★★☆4/5 · CMS overall rating: 4/5
The health inspection star above is graded on a curve within each state — a set share of each state's facilities gets each star level — so a facility can have few citations and still rate 2–3 stars if others in its state did even better. The overall rating combines that inspection score with staffing and self-reported quality measures.
All citations in the current public record (1)
CMS publishes roughly the last three inspection cycles plus recent complaint investigations. Older surveys drop out of the record as new ones are completed.
| Date | Severity | What the facility was cited for |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 17, 2025 | F · Potential for harm, facility-wide | The facility did not electronically submit complete and accurate staffing information to the government, based on payroll and other verifiable records. |
Inspection trend by year
| Year | Citations | Serious (G–L) | Worst severity that year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | F |
Counts reflect the current CMS public record (~3 inspection cycles plus complaint investigations); years with no surveys show no row. Inspection frequency varies, so compare severity as well as counts.
Fines and enforcement (last 3 years)
No fines or payment denials in the published 3-year window.
Nurse staffing (from payroll records, adjusted for how much care residents need)
| Measure | This facility | Iowa avg | U.S. avg | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day) | 3.56 | 4.37 | 3.95 | bottom 11% in Iowa; bottom 39% in the U.S. |
| Registered Nurse hours | 1.58 | 0.85 | 0.69 | top 4% in Iowa; top 4% in the U.S. |
| Weekend total nurse staffing | 2.66 | 3.86 | 3.50 | bottom 1% in Iowa; bottom 15% in the U.S. |
| Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted) | 0.97 | 0.51 | 0.48 | top 4% in Iowa; top 6% in the U.S. |
| Total nursing staff turnover (%) | 17.6 | 44.0 | 45.8 | top 1% in Iowa; top 2% in the U.S. |
| RN turnover (%) | 14.3 | 42.1 | 42.9 | top 11% in Iowa; top 7% in the U.S. |
Hours are per resident per day, case-mix adjusted by CMS so facilities caring for sicker residents can be compared fairly (same basis as the CMS staffing star). "Top X%" means better than most facilities: more staffing hours, or lower turnover. Raw (unadjusted) reported hours: total 3.07, RN 1.36, weekend 2.30. Staffing rating: 4/5.
Self-reported quality measures
Note: these ratings are based on data the facility reports about itself to CMS. They are not independently verified by inspectors, and can look better than inspection findings. Give more weight to the inspection results above.
Quality measures rating: 4/5 · long-stay residents: 4/5 · short-stay residents: —/5
Who owns this facility
Government - County
| Owner / manager | Type | Role | Stake | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ownership Data Not Available |
Questions to ask on your visit
Generated from this facility's actual citation record — bring them to a tour and ask the administrator directly.
- "How do your actual daily staffing levels compare to what's reported on Medicare's Care Compare website?"
- "What is your current ratio of nursing staff to residents on day, evening, and weekend shifts?"
- "Can I see the results and plan of correction from your most recent state inspection?"
Nearby facilities (within 20 miles)
| Facility | Distance | City | Overall | Inspection | Flags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeside Lutheran Home | 0.4 mi | Emmetsburg, IA | ★★★☆☆ | 3/5 | |
| Emmetsburg Care Center | 1.3 mi | Emmetsburg, IA | ★☆☆☆☆ | 1/5 | |
| Ruthven Community Care Center | 10.6 mi | Ruthven, IA | ★★★★☆ | 4/5 | |
| West Bend Health and Rehabilitation | 16.6 mi | West Bend, IA | ★★★★☆ | 3/5 |
Compare this facility with the 3 closest →
All facilities in Emmetsburg →
Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 16E668.